Railway-switch.



No. 687,361. Patented Nov. 26, I90I. W. G. WILLCUXEN.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

(Applcatiap led Apr. 9, 1901.)

UNITED STATES `PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM G. WILLOOXEN, OF QUINOY, ILLINOIS.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

VYSPEGIIEICA'IIOLT forming part of Letters Patent No. 687,361, dated November 26, 1901. y Application inea April 9, 1901. serilno. 55.026. (No model.)

To ctZDwi/om t may concern.- l l Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. WILLCOX- EN, a citizen of `the United States, residing at Quincy, inthe county of Adams and State of Illinois, havel invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Switches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 4 1

' This invention relates to 'railway-switches, and has special reference to that type commonly known as double-track switches, which are also applicable to single-track use for siding and heading-in purposes.

To this end the invention contemplates a novel construction of switch which entirely obviates the facing of the points of the switchrail now ordinarily used, thus making an absolutely safe switch. A further object of the invention is to so arrange the switch-'rails with reference to the separate track-rails cooperating therewith as to'provide for firmly bracing and locking the switch-rails in their adjusted position, so as to absolutely preventy lateral shifting or movement thereof except through the medium of the operating devices constituting a part of the invention. In this connection the invention also has in view the provision of perfectly iiush miter or bevel joints between the points of the switch-rails and the track-rail terminals associated therewith, so that aperfectly smooth track is provided for the trainwhen guided by the switchrails over the main track or onto the siding.'

With these and other objects in view, which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novelconstruction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described-illustrated, and claimed.

The essential features of the invention involved in the laterally and vertically movable switch-rails and the operating devices utilized in connection therewith are necessarily susceptible to avariety of modifications without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, but the preferred embodiment of the improvements is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which* Figure 1 is a plan view of a railway-switch constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing the switch-rails in one position. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the switch-rails in a diiferent position. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the switch, showing the points of the switch-rails elevated to clear the same from the terminals or points of the fixed track-rails to permit of the lateral shifting of the switch-rails. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view on the line 4 4t of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a similar view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in the several views of the drawings. Y

In carrying out the invention the switch may obviously be employed for single or double track purposes, though possessing special utility as a double-track switch, so for illustrative purposes Figs. l and 2 ofthe drawings particularly illustrate the use of the switch for heading in, the darts indicating the direction of movement ofthe train that is guided by the switch-rails.

Referring particularly to the construction and arrangement of parts shown in the drawings, the reference-letters A A and B B designate, respectively, the fixed track-rails of the separate tracks with which the switch-rails C C cooperate, and for convenience in understanding the invention the rails A may be designated as the main-track rails, while the railsv B may be termed the siding or sidetrack rails; but in all forms of the invention these rails may be xedor rigid, while the switch-rails C are movable with relation thereto to provide for guiding the train either straight over the main track or o onto the siding B B.

The Vtrack-rails are secured to the crossties l in any approved manner, but the terminals of the adjacent portions of the rails A and B are preferably held rigid upon the ties in properly-spaced relation through the medium of double rail-chairs or tie-plates 2, securely spiked to the ties and provided with a pair of rail-seats 3 to respectively receive the separate rails A and B, and these double rail-chairs 2 may be placed upon the adjoining ties upon which rest the adjacent terminals of the fixed rails A and B.

The adjacent spaced terminals of the fixed ICO est/',eei

track-rails A and may be additionally desv also rabbeted or shouldered, as at 9, it being noted that the rabbets or shoulders 6 of the fixed rails form seats for the extreme tips of the switch-rail points, and vice versa, so that when the switch-rail points are in register with the terminals of the fixed rails perfectly flush miter or bevel joints are provided. In connection with the miter or bevel faces of the fixed track-rails and of the switch-rails it is to be observed that the same are provided upon the inner sides of the track-rails and upon the outer side of the switch-rails, so that the points of the switch-rails are just the reverse of the switch-rails commonly in use.

On account of the transverse alinement of the spaced terminals of the fixed track-rails it is necessary to provide a compound movement for the switch-rails to permit of the necessary switching or adjustment thereof. To admit of this compound movement of the switch-rails, the same are connected at their relatively-fixed ends opposite the points 8 thereof by means of a suitable pivotal or loose coupling 10 to the contiguousends of the main-track rails, said couplings serving to permanently unite said ends of the switchrails to the main-track rails, While at the same time allowing a vertically-swinging and laterally-shifting movement for the switch-rails. The two switch-rails O C are connected together for movement in unison preferably through the medium of a plurality of tiebraces 11, pivotally connected at their ends, as at 12, with brackets or equivalent projections 13 at the inner sides of the switch-rails, thus holding` the same properly spaced and permitting of the free lateral movement thereof.

The vertical up-and-down movement of the switch-rails is accomplished through the medium of a raising and lowering device 14,

' preferably in the form of a transverse rockshaft having a long crank or bend 15, extending transversely beneath the swinging portions of the switch-rails and slidably engaging within keepers or loops 16, provided at the under side'of the switch-rails. The opposite journal portions 17 of the transverse crank-shaft are journaled in the angled bearingplates 18, bolted or otherwise suitably fastened lto the opposite ends of a cross-tie,

and at one end the said crank-shaft is pro-` vided with'an operating-lever 19, which provides for the rocking of the shaft and the raising and lowering of the crank 15 thereof,

which causes a consequent raising and lowering of the switch-rail points.

The lateral-shifting of the switch-rails C is provided for by a shifting device 20, preferably in the form of a vertical rock-shaft 21, journaled in vertically-alined bearings 22, tted to an upright supporting-post 23, arising from one of the cross-ties, and provided atan intermediate point with an offset vertically-disposed crank 24. At its upper end the rock-shaft 21 is provided with a horizontally-arranged handle 25, and the crank- 24 thereof has pivotally connected therewith one end of a link 26, the other end of which is pivoted to a coupling 27, bolted or otherwise suitably fastened to one of the switch-rails.

To provide for shifting the position of the switch-rails from one set of xed track-rails to the other, it is first necessary to elevate the points of the rails through the medium of the raising and lowering device 111, so as to clear the terminals of the fixed rails, and then by manipulating the shifting device 2O the points of the switch-rails may be moved laterally into position for registering engagement with the mitered terminals of the fixed track-rails.A

When thus interlocked` on account of the reverse disposition of the miter-faces of the switch-rails and the fixed track-rails, lateral movement or displacement of the switch-rails is impossible.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to withoutdepartingfromthe spiritorsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

, Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-Y y 1. In a railway-switch,- ,the combination of the xed track-rails having spaced terminals in the same transverse plane, said rail-terminals having at their inner sides mitered faces, and shiftable switch-rails having mitered faces at the outer sides of their points which are complementary to those of the fixed rails.

2. In a railway-switch, the combination of the fixed track-rails having spaced terminals in the same transverse plane, and verticallymovable and laterally-shiftable switch-rails having their points extending into the transverse planeof said fixed rails.

3. In a railway-switch, the combination of the xed track-rails having spaced terminals in the same transverse plane, said terminals having at their inner sides rabbeted mitered faces, vertically-movable and laterally-shiftable switch-rails having complementary rabbeted mitered faces at their outer sides, a raising and lowering device cooperating with the swinging portions of the switch-rails, and a separate shifting device also connected with the switch-rails. l

4. In a railway-switch, the combination of the iixed track-rails having spaced terminals IOO IZO

in the same transverse plane, vertieally-nlovneetion between the crank of the rock-shaft able and laterally-shiftable switch-rails having their points extending into the transverse plane of said fixed rails, a transverse roekshaft having a lever, and an extended crank, the latter slidably engaging With the under side of the switeh-rai1s, a vertically-arranged rock-shaft having a crank, and a link conand the switch-rails. A

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM G. WILLCOXEN. Witnesses:

P. J. SCHLAGENHAUF, GEO. A. BURNHAM. 

